 |
News |
|
 |
Electrophysics
Introduces New Portable Infrared Cameras for Entry-level
Industrial Inspection and Building Thermography
The low cost EZTherm 875 and 881 Infrared Cameras
feature point-and-shoot simplicity, an integrated
visible camera and a large color display. |
| 10/30/2009
– Fairfield, NJ |
 |
EZTherm
875 and 881 Portable Infrared Cameras:
New capabilities for entry-level industrial inspection
and building thermography |
Electrophysics,
a Sofradir EC company, has introduced two new
portable infrared cameras for industrial infrared
inspection and building thermography. With
3 times the number of pixels of competing entry
level infrared cameras, the EZTherm cameras produce
infrared images that are substantially sharper
making the analysis of thermal images more accurate,
intuitive and precise. In addition, because of
exceptional camera features and options, these
infrared cameras establish a new level of performance
for the entry-level thermographer.
According to Electrophysics, the new EZTherm IR
cameras give electricians and facility maintenance
personnel the ability to perform infrared inspections
of electrical circuits, motors and other rotating
equipment, power systems, building roofs, siding
and interior walls. The new EZTherm cameras make
it cost effective to add or strengthen the role
of thermal imaging in any facility’s predictive
maintenance program, costing thousands of dollars
less than earlier infrared cameras.
The entry level EZTherm
875 camera
features an optional integrated visible camera
(standard on the 875-2) and automatic hot/cold
spot indicators making it easy to identify and
document factory and building problems at a glance.
The high performance EZTherm
881 features an exclusive
radio probe that automatically records ambient
temperature and humidity values from an accessory
sensor and shows areas in the thermal image where
mold growth conditions are possible. Other advanced
features include motorized focus, a 3X telephoto
lens option and a high temperature measurement
capability (1000°F).
Additional details
All EZTherm cameras are easy to operate and feature
a lightweight, waterproof and highly ergonomic
housing design that is comfortable to hold. An
optional soft case enables users to carry the camera
over a shoulder leaving the users hands free. Advanced
analysis and report generation software features
powerful temperature analysis functionality and
highly productive multi page survey inspection
report generation.
“The EZTherm 875 and 881 are easy-to-use
point-and-shoot infrared cameras that are perfect
troubleshooting tools. They also supplement the
use of more advanced thermographic cameras, like
our HotShot HD Models used by certified thermographers
who are responsible for highly critical equipment
inspection and IR program management,” said
Chris Alicandro, Director of Sales
for Electrophysics. Because of their rugged and
reliable design, the EZTherm cameras are offered
with a full 2-year warranty.
Visit the Electrophysics website for more information: www.electrophysics.com |
| back
to top |
 |
| ULIS
Quadruples Production Capacity of Infrared Detectors |
| 7/02/2009
–
Veurey-Voroize, France |
ULIS,
a leading manufacturer of thermal imaging detectors
announced today that the company has expanded the
production capacity of its microbolometer arrays
from 50,000 to 200,000 units per year. ULIS is
augmenting its production capacity in order to
meet the growing demands for IR detectors by Original
Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to be used in infrared
cameras designed for military, industrial, public
safety and security applications. These OEMs are
capitalizing on the rapid market acceptance of
thermal imaging technology.
ULIS sees three leading market drivers: the emerging
trend to add infrared capability to visible surveillance
cameras (about 25 million are currently installed
worldwide); large volume military night vision
programs (particularly in the US); and new regulations
in energy conservation and building compliance.
"This initiative is our first step in a
capacity expansion plan that will address the market
for large-scale orders, over 100,000 units," says
Jean-François Delepau, managing director
of ULIS. "Customers can be assured of a ready
and available supply that hits mass market target
price points enabling them to be aggressively more
competitive in the market."
According to ULIS, one example of the market growth
is by trade professionals that are now using thermal
imagers to inspect building equipment. With the
help of an IR camera, plumbers can assess the water
temperature distribution of pipes embedded in under-floor
heating. There are roughly 800,000 plumbing enterprises
in North America and Europe. “With a camera
price below $3,000, these trade professionals can
now benefit from the capabilities thermal imaging
can add to their service portfolio,” added
Delepau.
The production ramp-up initiative is also an outcome
of the double-digit compound growth ULIS has been
experiencing every year since its founding in 2002,
when it was spun-off from CEA-Leti, a leading European
micro and nanotechnologies R&D center and Sofradir,
a leader in cooled IR detectors. GE Equity replaced
CEA-Leti as minority shareholder in 2008.
Included in ULIS’ expansion plan are new buildings to accommodate staff
growth (+ 25% last year), a new training center for customers to test-run microbolometer
products, and a production ramp-up of its new high-definition 17-micron IR detector,
which it introduced to the market earlier this year. The new buildings will enable
a future production capacity of up to 500,000 units per year.
About ULIS
ULIS manufactures high-volume infrared detectors
for low-cost, low power, lightweight IR cameras.
It offers a range of small and large format IR
products for industrial, professional, and security
applications. ULIS’ IR detectors are key
components of IR equipment increasingly used for
energy audits in buildings, thermography, security
and surveillance, and night vision driving for
motor vehicles, as well as firefighting and lightweight
military equipment. ULIS is the leader of uncooled
infrared detectors based on an amorphous silicon
technology called microbolometers, an easy and
reliable semiconductor material to manufacture.
Customers recognize ULIS’ IR
detectors for their low weight, low power consumption
and availability in large volumes. Compared with
any other thermal imaging supplier, ULIS offers
unique advantages in enabling OEMs, worldwide,
to custom-design IR systems, allowing them to achieve
true differentiation with their IR camera products.
ULIS, a subsidiary of Sofradir and GE Equity,
is located in Veurey-Voroize, near Grenoble, France
and employs 120 people.
Visit the ULIS website for more information: www.ulis-ir.com |
| back
to top |
 |
| Avalanche
Photodiode Detector produces images of ultra-low
MWIR emissions |
| 4/14/2009,
Paris |
Sofradir,
a developer and manufacturer of advanced infrared
detectors for military, space and industrial applications,
today announced it will demonstrate its new Avalanche
Photodiode (APD) mid-TV format IR detector for amplifying
low input signals and give five presentations on
advanced research in Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT/HgCdTe)
technology at the SPIE Defense, Security & Sensing
Conference in Orlando, Florida, April 14–17,
2009.
“We
see our MCT Avalanche Photodiode 30-micron pitch
IR detector offering customers a flexible solution
to address emerging opportunities in IR applications
where input light signals are very low,“ says
Philippe Tribolet, VP R&D,
Technology and Products at Sofradir. “The
SPIE Defense, Security & Sensing Conference
is a forum in which Sofradir has
actively participated for the past 16 years. It
is an ideal meeting at which to demonstrate our
new low-noise APD IR detector offering system integrators
a choice of wavebands, more compact optics and
an ability to overcome any low input signal Read-Out
Integrated Circuit (ROIC) performance degradation.” Designed
for military applications, active imagery (laser
gated imaging), spectrometry, gas detection and
a range of scientific applications, Sofradir’s
APD 30-micron pitch IR detector made with Mercury
Cadmium Telluride (MCT) technology enables users
to operate cameras with small apertures or with
narrow wavebands in extreme low light detection.
Sofradir’s APD IR detector can amplify low
input signals by a factor of 5,300 keeping the
photodiode signal to noise level constant, a result
unmatched by competing technologies the company
says.
The announcement further expands Sofradir’s large
portfolio of high-performance, high volume MCT
IR detectors in the short-waveband (1 to 2.5 micron),
and mid-waveband (3 to 5). It can
be used for active imagery (2-D or 3-D). It can
also be used for passive imagery, where low input
signals are amplified.
The R&D team at Sofradir will
present five technical papers during SPIE, a leading
meeting in the defense industry that brings together
top researchers, scientists and engineers from
the military, industry and academia.
The presentations
are:
- Uniting IR detectors for tactical and space
applications: a continuous cycle of reliability
- 50 years of successful MCT research and
production in France
- New high gain IR detectors for active imaging
- Ultra low power ADC on chip for high performance
IR detectors
- Sofradir MCT technology for space applications.
About Sofradir
Sofradir develops and manufactures advanced infrared
detectors (IR) for military, space and commercial
applications. It specializes in cooled IR detectors
based on a sophisticated high performance technology,
Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT), and its vast
product portfolio of scanning and staring arrays
covers the entire infrared spectrum. Sofradir also offers QWIP detectors developed in cooperation
with Thales.
Sofradir owns
two subsidiaries: ULIS,
of which GE Equity has 15 percent ownership,
and Sofradir
EC. ULIS is a high volume manufacturer
of infrared detectors for low-cost IR cameras
for industrial, professional and security applications.
Sofradir EC develops and supplies infrared equipment
for scientific, industrial, public safety, security
and defense applications.
Customers for the group
include the US Army, Thales, Sagem, Selex, Thales
Alenia Space, ESA (European Space Agency) and FLIR
Systems.
Sofradir's headquarters
are located in Châtenay-Malabry,
near Paris, France. Its manufacturing facilities
and those of ULIS are
located in Veurey-Voroize, near Grenoble, in France. Sofradir
EC is based
in Fairfield, NJ (USA). Sofradir, ULIS and Sofradir
EC employ more than 500 people. Total sales in
2008 were in the order of EUR 120 million (USD
150 to 160 million). |
| back
to top |
 |
| Sofradir-EC Introduces the
Epsilon™ IR Detector |
| 1/5/2009 |
Responding
to customer demands for increasingly compact thermal
imagers, Sofradir-EC has
introduced the Epsilon™,
a ¼ VGA format
infrared detector featuring 15-micron pixels. Roughly
half the size and weight of previous generation systems,
Epsilon is aimed
at a number of applications, including battery powered
handheld systems, night-vision goggles and small
UAVs payloads.
Sofradir is
the leader in sophisticated Mercury Cadmium Telluride
(MCT) technology for cooled IR systems and has
a large portfolio of imaging sensors across the
whole IR spectrum. The company pioneered 15-micron
pitch fabrication in 2005 and today is in full
rate production of small pixel imaging arrays.
Epsilon joins the larger Scorpio™ (640x512)
and Jupiter™ (1280x1024) array family of 15-micron based products.
High QE cooled focal plane arrays provide better
performance over microbolometers, but traditionally
have paid a penalty in terms of size, weight and
power consumption. Sofradir’s advanced
small pixel technology combined with a small rotary
cooler has reduced the power consumption to only
2W – almost
as low as the requirements of microbolometers.
Smaller batteries and a lighter, more compact system
translate into reduced fatigue for handheld/NVG
operators, flexible integration for system builders,
and greater payload options for small UAVs. “Epsilon
gives systems engineers the ability to leverage
MCT array’s
high quantum efficiency, which results in much
small f3.0 optics and warm operating temperature,
which can greatly increase a systems MTBF,"
states Chris Alicandro, Director of Sales at Sofradir-EC. “We
expect Epsilon will find its way into many military
electro-optical systems in the near future,"
concluded Alicandro during a recent industry conference
on military night vision. |
| back to top |
 |
| Sofradir completes acquisition
of Electrophysics® |
| 12/16/2008 |
Paris, France, and Fairfield,
NJ, USA, December 16th, 2008 — Sofradir, a
leading developer and manufacturer of advanced infrared
(IR) detectors for military, space and industrial
applications, announced today that it has completed
the acquisition of the New Jersey (USA) IR equipment
company, Electrophysics.
Sofradir, headquartered in France, wholly owns
Electrophysics, which has been renamed Sofradir
EC (Sofradir Engineered Components).
Frank Vallese, former owner of Electrophysics,
will head Sofradir
EC as President. Philippe Bensussan,
Chairman and CEO of Sofradir and
Chairman of ULIS,
will also serve as Chairman of Sofradir EC.
"The name Sofradir EC is intended to leverage
the strength of our brand and reputation as a quality
supplier of IR detectors in the defense, space
and commercial industries," said Bensussan. "Sofradir
EC will help our company meet the specific needs
of North American customers of cooled and uncooled
IR detectors." The estimated North American
market for infrared detectors is USD 1 billion.
Sofradir EC will continue developing and supplying
infrared equipment such as specialized thermography
equipment, and night vision modules for low-light
photography and videography, focusing on scientific,
industrial, public safety, security and defense
applications. |
| back to top |
 |
| Electrophysics® to be acquired
by Sofradir |
| 10/06/2008 |
|
Paris, France, and Fairfield,
NJ, USA, October 6, 2008 — Sofradir,
a leading developer and manufacturer of advanced
infrared (IR) detectors for military, space and industrial
applications announced today that it will acquire
Electrophysics, a US developer of advanced high-performance
IR equipment. Sofradir expects to complete the transaction
within 30 days.
The acquisition is expected to accelerate the
development of Sofradir and its subsidiary ULIS in the North American market. It will provide Sofradir
and ULIS with a US platform to better serve the
North American IR detector and module market, estimated
at USD 1 billion (approx. Eur 700 M), the largest
in the world.
“This strategic foothold will boost Sofradir
and ULIS’s growth by bringing us closer to
customers in the US who will have ready access
to our advanced cooled and uncooled IR technologies,
known for their performance, reliability and productibility,” said
Philippe Bensussan, Chairman and CEO of Sofradir
and Chairman of ULIS. “Having a US base of
operations will allow us to be more cost competitive
and responsive to our customers.”
Electrophysics’ president Frank Vallese,
who will continue to head the US operation said: “We
are delighted with this opportunity. It will be
a big plus to have Sofradir’s talent, technology
and expertise here on North American soil. Sofradir
has an exciting product development roadmap and
an established history of delivering high-quality
IR detectors. We foresee a wide range of market
opportunities in public safety, security and defense,
supplying both OEM’s and system integrators.”
Sofradir is
a leading provider of IR detectors. Together with ULIS,
the company shipped 40,000 IR detectors worldwide
this year. The purchase of Electrophysics,
founded in 1969, will help it ramp up sales and
enhance the service it provides to US customers
in the defense, space and commercial industries. “By
joining the experienced team of 35 at Electrophysics, Sofradir is
taking an important step forward to the benefit
of the customers of both companies,” added
Bensussan.
About Sofradir
Sofradir develops
and manufactures advanced infrared detectors (IR) for military, space and
commercial applications. It specializes in cooled IR detectors
based on a sophisticated high performance technology,
Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT), and its vast product
portfolio of scanning and staring arrays covers
the entire infrared spectrum. Sofradir also offers
QWIP detectors developed in cooperation with Thales.
Ulis, a subsidiary of Sofradir, designs and manufactures
low-cost, uncooled amorphous silicon infrared detectors
for commercial applications. Together the companies
generated revenues of USD 165 M (EUR 110 M) in
2007. Sofradir and Ulis directly
export more than 70 percent of their products. Customers include
the US Army, Thales, Sagem, Selex, Thales Alenia
Space, ESA (European Space Agency) and FLIR Systems.
Sofradir’s headquarters is located in Chatenay-Malabry,
near Paris, France. Its manufacturing facilities
and those of ULIS are located in Veurey-Voroize,
near Grenoble. Sofradir and Ulis employ 470 people.
About Electrophysics
Founded in 1969, Electrophysics designs and manufactures
infrared equipment for a wide range of imaging
applications including portable thermal imagers
as well as night vision modules for low-light photography
and videography. The company sells to industrial,
scientific, law enforcement and US Department of
Defense customers. In addition, it develops image
acquisition and analysis software and a range of
application-specific accessories including optics.
The company, located in Fairfield, New Jersey,
USA, has 35 employees and annual revenues of USD
12 M (EUR 8 M).
A Letter from the President |
| back to top |
 |
|
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
|